『한중록』과 『가게로닛키(蜻蛉日記)』의 ‘회상(回想)’과 ‘상기(想起)’

Abstract

In Japan literature and art, the closest concept to a western autobiography’s first work is 『Gageronikk i(蜻蛉日記)』(974) written by Michisseunanohaha (道綱母, 936?-995). In Korea it’s an 『Han jung rok』(1795-1805) written by Hye kyung gung (Mrs. Hong(惠慶宮洪氏, 1735-1815)). Despite differences in cultural backgrounds and the periods in which each was written 『Gageronikki』 and 『Han jung rok』 have the possibility of transversality, This is written in ‘reminiscence’ of the two noble women’s lives that were surrounded by the political strife of their dynastys. This manuscript has compares the style of the western autobiography’s transversality and transversal features (like sympathy, diversity, collectivity) with that of literary journals and epic literature. Specifically the comparison shows the meaning of the transversal features of the ‘reminiscence’ of 『Gageronikki』 and 『Han jung rok』 which were written in different times and places. This manuscript is based on interculturalism, considering the heterogeneity and liquidity of two female writers’ lives and communicability of the two writers. 『Gageronikki』’s writer tried drastically to arouse sympathy and compassion by recording an acute political situation as if she were a character in politics. 『Han jung rok』’s writer did not ‘recollect’ the nature of death of the Prince. This should have belonged to her inner side. She tried to bring ‘reminiscence’ by reinterpreting the past as present to produce a dramatic scene. 『Gageronikki』 and 『Han jung rok』’s purpose was to get sympathy and compassion from readers, not the ‘recollection’ of a historical essence. Readers forget about the essence of history because of the two women’s fluent handwriting. They wrote as if they were one in the film. Readers are moved by reproducing the past through links of the soul, rather than proceeding objectively from historical fact to fact. Like Proust's Madeleine, the two women from dynasties experience very old things a second time as the ‘reminiscence’ occurs. They get away from the chronological time flow as past and present meet. Finally, the two female writer’s narrations help them regain time. They do this as they write their work by ‘reminiscence’. 『Gageronikki』 and 『Han jung rok』 are artworks that expressed remembered past lives by systematic principle in aesthetic form. Also, a common feature of the editing method works to convey their inner stories rather than that of historical facts. This shows the transcultural and transversal characteristic of the two dynasties’ literature. The two women from dynasties look back (‘Anna revolution’ and ‘Imo Incident’), and try desperately to have ‘reminiscence’ to protect themselves, their sons, and their families. 『Gageronikki』 and 『Han jung rok』’s writings heal the memories that could not be healed by ‘reminiscence’.